Hot hole transport and noise phenomena in silicon at cryogenic temperatures from first principles

The transport properties of hot holes in silicon at cryogenic temperatures exhibit several anomalous features, including the emergence of two distinct saturated drift velocity regimes and a non-monotonic trend of the current noise versus electric field at microwave frequencies. Despite prior investigations, these features lack generally accepted explanations. Here, we examine the microscopic origin of these phenomena by extending a recently developed ab-initio theory of high-field transport and noise in semiconductors. We find that the drift velocity anomaly may be attributed to scattering dominated by acoustic phonon emission, leading to an additional regime of drift velocity saturation at temperatures $\sim 40$ K for which the acoustic phonon occupation is negligible; while the non-monotonic trend in the current noise arises due to the decrease in momentum relaxation time with electric field. The former conclusion is consistent with the findings of prior work, but the latter distinctly differs from previous explanations. This work highlights the use of high-field transport and noise phenomena as sensitive probes of microscopic charge transport phenomena in semiconductors.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Surface Instabilities on Liquid Oxygen in an Inhomogeneous Magnetic Field

Liquid oxygen exhibits surface instabilities when subjected to a sufficiently strong magnetic field. A vertically oriented magnetic field gradient both increases the magnetic field value at which the pattern forms and shrinks the length scale of the surface patterning. We show that these effects of the field gradient may be described in terms of an ``effective gravity'', which in our experiments may be varied from 1g to 360g.Comment: 4 pages, 5 embedded figures in eps forma

A novel silver bioactive glass elicits antimicrobial efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in an ex vivo skin wound biofilm model

Biofilm infection is now understood to be a potent contributor to the recalcitrant nature of chronic wounds. Bacterial biofilms evade the host immune response and show increased resistance to antibiotics. Along with improvements in antibiotic stewardship, effective new anti-biofilm therapies are urgently needed for effective wound management. Previous studies have shown that bioactive glass (Bg) is able to promote healing with moderate bactericidal activity. Here we tested the antimicrobial efficacy of a novel BG incorporating silver (BgAg), against both planktonic and biofilm forms of the wound-relevant bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. BgAg was stable, long lasting, and potently effective against planktonic bacteria in time-kill assays (6-log reduction in bacterial viability within 2 h) and in agar diffusion assays. BgAg reduced bacterial load in a physiologically relevant ex vivo porcine wound biofilm model; P. aeruginosa (2-log reduction) and S. aureus (3-log reduction). BgAg also conferred strong effects against P. aeruginosa biofilm virulence, reducing both protease activity and virulence gene expression. Co-culture biofilms appeared more resistant to BgAg, where a selective reduction in S. aureus was observed. Finally, BgAg was shown to benefit the host response to biofilm infection, directly reducing host tissue cell death. Taken together, the findings provide evidence that BgAg elicits potent antimicrobial effects against planktonic and single-species biofilms, with beneficial effects on the host tissue response. Further investigations are required to elucidate the specific consequences of BG administration on polymicrobial biofilms, and further explore the effects on host–microbe interactions

Proton induced thermal stress-wave measurements using a Laser Doppler Vibrometer

Abstract.: Thermal stress-waves are generated in the solid target material when the proton beam interacts. These stress waves excite natural oscillations of the target or cause plastic deformations. Hence, an experimental setup with a laser Doppler vibrometer [CITE] was developed to investigate free surface vibrations of cylindrical targets. The target configurations for RIB and conventional neutrino beams (CNGS project) were investigated to analyze proton induced thermal stress-wave generation and propagatio

The small subunit of Rubisco and its potential as an engineering target

Rubisco catalyses the first rate-limiting step in CO2 fixation and is responsible for the vast majority of organic carbon present in the biosphere. The function and regulation of Rubisco remain an important research topic and a longstanding engineering target to enhance the efficiency of photosynthesis for agriculture and green biotechnology. The most abundant form of Rubisco (Form I) consists of eight large and eight small subunits, and is found in all plants, algae, cyanobacteria, and most phototrophic and chemolithoautotrophic proteobacteria. Although the active sites of Rubisco are located on the large subunits, expression of the small subunit regulates the size of the Rubisco pool in plants and can influence the overall catalytic efficiency of the Rubisco complex. The small subunit is now receiving increasing attention as a potential engineering target to improve the performance of Rubisco. Here we review our current understanding of the role of the small subunit and our growing capacity to explore its potential to modulate Rubisco catalysis using engineering biology approaches

Isotropic plasma-thermal atomic layer etching of superconducting TiN films using sequential exposures of molecular oxygen and SF6/_6/H2_2 plasma

Microwave loss in superconducting titanium nitride (TiN) films is attributed to two-level systems in various interfaces arising in part from oxidation and microfabrication-induced damage. Atomic layer etching (ALE) is an emerging subtractive fabrication method which is capable of etching with Angstrom-scale etch depth control and potentially less damage. However, while ALE processes for TiN have been reported, they either employ HF vapor, incurring practical complications; or the etch rate lacks the desired control. Further, the superconducting characteristics of the etched films have not been characterized. Here, we report an isotropic plasma-thermal TiN ALE process consisting of sequential exposures to molecular oxygen and an SF$_6$/H$_2$ plasma. For certain ratios of SF$_6$:H$_2$ flow rates, we observe selective etching of TiO$_2$ over TiN, enabling self-limiting etching within a cycle. Etch rates were measured to vary from 1.1 \r{A}/cycle at 150 $^\circ$C to 3.2 \r{A}/cycle at 350 $^\circ$C using ex-situ ellipsometry. We demonstrate that the superconducting critical temperature of the etched film does not decrease beyond that expected from the decrease in film thickness, highlighting the low-damage nature of the process. These findings have relevance for applications of TiN in microwave kinetic inductance detectors and superconducting qubits.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure

Horizontal deflection of single particle in a paramagnetic fluid

This paper describes the horizontal deflection behaviour of a single particle in paramagnetic fluids under a high-gradient superconducting magnetic field. A glass box was designed to carry out experiments and test assumptions. It was found that the particles were deflected away from the magnet bore centre and particles with different density and/or susceptibility settled at a certain position on the container floor due to the combined forces of gravity and magneto-Archimedes as well as lateral buoyant (displacement) force. Matlab was chosen to simulate the movement of the particle in the magnetic fluid, the simulation results were in good accordance with experimental data. The results presented here, though, are still very much in their infancy, which could potentially form the basis of a new approach to separating materials based on a combination of density and susceptibility. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Magnetic moments of 68^{68}Cug,m^{g,m} and 70^{70}Cug,m1,m2^{g,m_{1},m_{2}} nuclei measured by in-source laser spectroscopy

We have obtained information on the atomic hyperfine splitting and, hence, on magnetic moments in neutron rich $^{68, 70}$Cu isotopes by scanning the frequency of the narrow-band laser of the first excitation step in the resonance ionization laser ion source. The deduced magnetic moments are $\mu( ^{68}$Cu$^{g}$, I$^{\pi}$ = 1$^+$) = +2.48(2)(7)$\mu_{N}$ ; $\mu(^{68}$Cu$^{m}$, I$^{\pi}$=6$^{-}$) = +1.24(4)(6)$\mu_{N}$ and $\mu(^{70}$Cu$^{m_{2}}$, I$^{\pi}$=1$^{+}$) = +1.86(4)(6)$\mu_{N}$ ; $\mu(^{70}$Cu$^{g}$, I$^{\pi}$=6$^{-}$) = +1.50(7)(8)$\mu_{N}$. The results of the scans analysis point out on existence of a new isomer in $^{70}$Cu$^{m_{1}}$. It's deduced magnetic moment is (-)3.50(7)(11)$\mu_{N}$ that is in a good agreement with I$^{\pi}$=3$^{-}$ assignment. The method of in-source atomic spectroscopy, as well as the analysis of the obtained data, is described. The results are discussed in terms of single-particle configurations coupled to the $^{68}$Ni core

公众参与消防安全建设:路径选择与制度供给

消防安全是公共安全的重要组成部分,公众参与消防安全建设是消防安全管理工作的内在需求和必然趋势。积极探索公众参与消防安全建设的具体路径,为公民参与消防建设提供制度保障是当前消防管理工作的重要课题。本文力图从消防政策的制定与监督、社会化的消防工作网络、依托社会的消防教育三个方面构建以政府为主导的公民参与消防安全建设的路径,并为这些参与途径设计了以信息公开及法制建设为基础,以增强民间组织参与能力为目标,以经济、文化等各种手段为支持的公众参与消防建设的制度框架